U.K. Secures 90 Million Doses of Potential COVID-19 Vaccines

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Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland)--Europe's worst hit COVID-19 country, the U.K., has secured early access to 90 million vaccine doses through partnerships with a number of pharmaceutical companies.

The government revealed that it has reached "significant partnerships" with the BioNTech/Pfizer alliance, Valneva and AstraZeneca, for a range of potential vaccines under testing and treatments aimed at immune-compromised patients that can't receive vaccines. It said that the partnerships mean that England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland could have access to enough doses to vaccinate and protect priority groups, such as frontline health and social care workers and those at increased health risks. To date, the country has had almost 295,000 reported cases and more than 45,000 deaths, 10,000 more than Italy, which is in second place.

The deal with BioNTech/Pfizer for 30 million doses of its mRNA vaccine is the alliance's first deal with any government. It has entered Phase 2 of testing. The government has signed a deal with Valneva for 60 million doses of its inactivated whole virus vaccine, which is currently in development. In addition, it has in principle an agreement with AstraZeneca for one million doses of a treatment containing COVID-19 neutralising antibodies to protect those who cannot receive vaccines, such as cancer and immune-compromised patients. The government has already agreed to a global licensing agreement signed with AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford to research, develop and manufacture a COVID-19 vaccine with the promise of 100 million doses for the U.K..

U.K. Business Secretary, Alok Sharma, said: "The hunt to find a vaccine is a truly global endeavour and we are doing everything we can to ensure the British public get access to a safe and effective coronavirus vaccine as soon as possible. This new partnership with some of the world's foremost pharmaceutical and vaccine companies will ensure the U.K. has the best chance possible of securing a vaccine that protects those most at risk. The public can also play their part in vaccine research through the new NHS vaccine research register. By signing up and participating in important clinical studies, together we can speed up the search for a vaccine and end the pandemic sooner."

Kate Bingham, the chair of the U.K.'s Vaccine Taskforce, welcomed the agreements but warned against complacency. "The Vaccine Taskforce is investing in a diverse portfolio of vaccine candidates to maximise the chances of finding a vaccine quickly that meets the U.K.'s rigorous regulatory and safety standards. The fact that we have so many promising candidates already shows the unprecedented pace at which we are moving. But I urge against being complacent or over optimistic. The fact remains we may never get a vaccine and if we do get one, we have to be prepared that it may not be a vaccine which prevents getting the virus, but rather one that reduces symptoms."

Earlier this month, Industrial Info reported that the government was close to signing a £500 million ($624 million) deal with GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE:GSK) (GSK) (Brentford, England) and Sanofi (NASDAQ:SNY) (Paris, France) to supply the country with up to 60 million doses of their coronavirus vaccine. For additional information, see July 14, 2020, article--U.K. Set to Pay £500 Million For GSK-Sanofi COVID-19 Drug.

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